Potential regions in the Persian Gulf to deploy offshore floating photovoltaic systems

Generating energy needs by means of renewable sources is a vital strategy for all the GCC countries. Photovoltaic systems in the GCC have been a primary choice of renewable sources due to regional weather and high levels of irradiance. However, the unfavorable environmental factors such as high temperatures, soiling, and dust have been a concern in PV performance. Offshore photovoltaic systems can provide a solution to mitigate these issues and improve system performance. So far, the Floating PV systems have remained unexplored in the GCC region. This paper identifies and presents the six potential regions in the GCC to deploy the Floating PV system based on three environmental factors